Jayapura, Jubi – Paniai Customary Council Chief Jhon NR Gobai said violence in Papua was generally a consequence of the Military and Police’s repressive acts.

“Military or police are acting extremely arrogant when the media is not present, so a lot of violence could not be properly exposed,” Gobay said in Jayapura last week.

Several violence cases by those culprits are happened including in Enarotali, Paniai Regency on 8 December 2014; Intan Jaya, Deyai, Puncak, Puncak Jaya, Ndugaa and Wamena of Jayawijaya Regency. “Meanwhile, in urban area such as Jayapura City, the act of violence would be immediately covered, well exposed. Though sometime the violence might to be happened, it seems the apparatus acts more carefully.” He said.

For that reason, he suggested the security force chiefs such as Papua Police Chief and Regional Military Commander in Papua or at higher level, the Indonesian Police Chief and Indonesian Military Commander to provide their soldiers with a knowledge of human right for understanding and dealing with the cases occurred in Papua. “Papuans have their own way to express their voices, their aspirations. They are still holding their origin culture, such as ‘waita’ that is voicing their voice with dancing and singing. Through the dancing, they actually have something to express,” he said.

For instance, the last incident happened in Paniai on 8 December 2014. People actually wanted to express their aspirations but the officers had lack of knowledge about the local culture. They didn’t understand about the mass psychology that finally ended with the repressive act. “The Military approaches in Papua must be thoroughly evaluated. And the unnecessary troops should be pull out of Papua, because more armed officers among less populated Papuans could result unfavorable situation,” he said.

This situation could trigger a clash between the security force and people and could be ended with the severe human right violation in Papua, such as happened in Paniai. “Furthermore, there is a stigma of Papua Free Movement accused against Papuans if they want to express themselves,” he said.

In fact, Gobay added, those who stigmatized are part of Papuan community and Indonesian citizens that should be protected and embraced by both Military and Police with nicely and properly. Because if they didn’t do that, it means they are not able to implement their task and responsibly. “So, their approaches must be evaluated, demilitarization in Papua, no more repressive acts to harm the Papuans’ heart and solve the Paniai case,” he said.

Related to Paniai case, he said if the National Human Right Committee were not able to cover this case, it would better if Papua has the regional human right office, which has similar authority for investigating and revealing the alleged case of human right violation in Papua. “Paniai Customary Council and students who concern to the violence cases will return to the National Human Right Violation Papua Representative Office to drop its nameplate as a protest over its weakness to reveal the violence in Papua. Moreover, it didn’t form the Investigative Commission on Human Right Violation on Paniai case,” he said.

Last Tuesday, hundreds of colleague students in Jayapura City who joined in the Student Independent Forum (FIM) with the Paniai Customary Council held a rally in front of the National Human Right Violation Papua Representative Office urging it to establish the Investigative Commission on Human Right Violation on Paniai case. (*/rom)

2) Schools Obliges Students to Wear Red-White Flag Emblem on School Uniform

Jayapura, Jubi – Some high schools in Kaimana, West Papua Province are reportedly forcing students to wear red-white flag emblems on their uniform.

“School authority gave us the Red-White flag emblem to be put on our uniform. I object it, because it’s weird. I won’t put it on because I think it is an oppression,” a student of YPPK Santo Thomas Aquino High School said last week.

Meanwhile a student of SMAN I Kaimana similarly said his school also distributes the same emblem to the students but most of them object it. “The school’s teachers distributed the flag emblem without further explanation. We simply reject wearing it because we knew all Indonesian schools are not wearing this emblem on their uniforms,” he said.

Regarding to this issue, the West Papua National Committee Chairman of Kaimana, Ruben Furay said via email to Jubi on Thursday (9/4/2015) that the identity of Papuan nation represented by the Morning Star flag has been acknowledged by the entire Papuan nation. It’s not a secret. So, the Kaimana Education Office must pay attention to a program applied in the schools.

He further said if the Papuan students do not want to wear the Red-White flag emblem on their uniform, the school authorities couldn’t blame on them. (Arnold Belau/rom)

As many as 420 students sitting national exams using a computer-based testing (CBT) system at vocational school SMK Negeri 3 Jayapura on Monday were unable to work on their exams due to limited numbers of computers.

“We only have 160 computers, while the number of students sitting the national exam is 420. So, they had to queue and were divided into three groups. Each group comprised 160 students,” SMK Negeri 3 Jayapura principal Melkianus Mawene said in Jayapura on Monday.

He said apart from the limited number computers, poor internet connection was also an obstacle.

“The school’s national exam organizing committee had tried to download exam materials on computers since 7 a.m. local time, but they only connected to the Internet at 8:30 a.m.,” said Mawenen.

He added that a brief blackout of around 13 minutes triggered panic among teachers who were monitoring the exam.

Despite the technical obstacles, Mawenen said the students were, overall, well-prepared, thanks to two trainings on how to take the CBT exam.

Limited numbers of computers also hampered CBT national exams conducted at five other schools in Jayapura on Monday.

“Today’s exam was just a try-out and the main obstacle hampering the exam was limited computers. In the future, the Jayapura administration will provide more computers to schools so they can administer the national exams at once,” Jayapura Mayor Benhur Tommy Mano said.

In Papua, 10 schools are holding CBT national exams. They comprise two schools in Biak Numfor regency, two schools in Jayapura regency and six schools in Jayapura City. The total number of students sitting the exams stands at 23,390. (ebf)(++++)